Laundry Detergent
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Cleaning Products
Most cleaning products don't list ingredients. However, you can learn something about a product's hazards by reading its label. 'Danger/ Poison' - most hazardous; 'Warning' - moderately hazardous; 'Caution' - slightly toxic. Ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. These include skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer. [www.safersolutions.org.au]
- Avoid:
- chlorine or ammonia, listed as active ingredients
- formaldehyde, terpenes, phenols, chlorine, organic mercurials, balsams, aluminium complexes, chlorine, organic mercurials, balsams, and aluminium complexes. These are known to have carcinogenic effects.
- detergents containing alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) - do not degrade completely and are known hormone disruptors.
- detergents containing phosphates - cause algal blooms in water ways
- Look for:
- biodegradable to AS4351, or better still, an international standard
- plant-based ingredients, instead of petroleum-based
- concentrated form
- specific ingredient information (such as solvent-free no petroleum-based ingredients solvent-free, no petroleum-based ingredients) rather than unregulated greenwash claims (such as natural and eco-friendly)
See alternatives beyond the supermarket 
EcoStore [more info]
Miracle Wash Laundry Balls [more info]
Tri Nature Alpha Plus Laundry [more info]
Find farmers' markets, food coops, farm gate products at Local Harvest
A safer, healthier alternative to synthetic chemical laden laundry products. Ecostore laundry powder contains no skin-irritating enzymes, optical brighteners, phosphates or other potentially harmful chemicals. No nasty residues remain on your clothes or up against your skin - nor do they damage the environment.
Manufacturer: EcoStore
Manufacturer: EcoStore
No Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
No Petrochemicals
No Harsh Detergents
No Toxic Chemicals
No Animal Testing
Manufacturer: Miracle Wash Laundry Balls
No Petrochemicals
No Harsh Detergents
No Toxic Chemicals
No Animal Testing
Manufacturer: Miracle Wash Laundry Balls
